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PSP Controller Layout, New Details Revealed
Thanks to IGN Pocket for their article discussing new PlayStation Portable (PSP) details revealed at Sony's Gamers' Day in San Francisco. The article discusses the PSP's controller configuration, which is "...now confirmed to consist of the four face buttons we all know and love (triangle, circle, cross, and square), a digital directional pad, two shoulder buttons (left and right), start and select buttons, and one analog joystick." It also reveals that "Sony compared the 3D prowess of the PSP to be more akin to the PS2 rather than the PSone", and other details emerged - the system's battery life was "...said to be comparable to other high-end devices (roughly 3-6 hours)", and GameSpot's Gamers' Day round-up relays that "a prototype will be unveiled at E3 2004... [and] currently, 10 first-party titles are in development for the new platform."
This doesn't seem like a lot to me. I did a quick Google search and saw that the official stats on the GBA SP give it 10 hours light on/17 hours light off. Now that's three times longer than the PSP. That's pretty significant. They'll have to definatly increase batterly life before I'd look at getting one of these.
"Armed forces abroad are of little value unless there is prudent counsel at home" - Cicero
When Sony says "3-6 hours" for other "high-end devices" (like their laptops), in reality it's more like an hour or two. The problem is, this will hurt the PSP. It's one thing to carry a power brick with your laptop; it's entirely another to carry one for your pocket game device.
The GBA SP, with light on, easily gets 10 hours. It seems like I rarely ever have to charge mine. If I had to charge every three hours, this would be much different.
It won't stop me from buying one, since I do most of my gaming at home, and it'll probably have a boatload of great games---the main reason for investing in any console---but if they really want to succeed, they should take a good hard look at this.
Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage
I seem to remember from way back that Nintendo had patented the design of it's D-pad.
A quick search turned up this note of the history of the NES controller:
Yokoi designed something simple that evolved into what is known as the D-pad. Nintendo then proceeded to patent the design of the D-pad.. As a result, a dispute rose up between Nintendo and Sega when Sega used the D-pad design in their Genesis console
This explains why Sony and Microsoft are unable to copy Nintendo's D-pad design - they'd have the stuffing sued out of them. Instead:
Sony hid the middle part of rocker underneath the case. Unfortunately their design makes your thumbs bleed after using it for an hour or two.
Microsoft came up with the circle-with-raised-compass-points design. Unfortunately it's error--prone in that you often hit the diagonals when you don't mean to.
FYI, my ideal controller would have:
* Nintendo's D-pad
* Sony's analog sticks
* Sony's buttons
* Sony's DualShock control layout on the front-face (the controls are placed about perfectly for me).
* Microsoft's Controller-S case and extra-long cable (I find it the most comfortable to hold for long periods of time - just not the best to USE).
...and one analog joystick.
I wonder how far this will protrude and if durability will be a problem. I would hesitate to put this in my pocket (or even in a bag without a case) for fear that the joystick would wear unnecessarily.
As with the sun's light
My mom was magnificent
Unquestionable
Or just plain poor communications between departments?
Am I alone in thinking it a little strange that Sony announced this device more than a year before they intend to show even the physical shape of it?
In fact, it seemed that the initial announcement was more of an excuse to show off a new storage medium (which also won't be available for about a year).
Don't get me wrong: I'm pretty excited about the PsP, and all the possibilities it could offer. I'll probably buy one, but then again, I have a Game.com and every game ever commercially available for it.
Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
Does everyone really love the naming convention of these buttons? It drives me nuts to say "OK, to do this move, press left and the Triangle plus Circle, then Square" when I could say "press left and A B, then X".
Am I missing out on some lingo here to reference the psx buttons a little more easily?
I'll have something intelligent to add one of these days...